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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Rare Sight (1 Viewer)

Well being from canada we only have one kinda humming bired in alberta... the ruby throated and were luck if we get those!

I love to see these pics!
 
humminbird said:
Disagree Garett. It depends on where you are and what you are looking for. I can provide numerous photos of multiple hummingbirds feeding together. Even photos of them stacked up waiting their turns while all ports are full.

Mark
Bastrop, TX


My own observations indicate that hummers will generally tend to drive off intruders. However, I have noticed a fair amount of cooperation under special circumstances. I get Anna's all winter. I think those long winter nights are hard on them because I will often see them gathering well before sunrise. It is just plain dark out with stars and everything. At times like this, I have seen several drinking at once. My thinking is that they are just too depleted to want to argue.

I was surprised to see nocturnal activity in Hummingbirds. I've read that they go into a special form of hibernation but has anyone checked to rule out night feeding?
 
The only other time I've witnessed this behavior in hummers was when I was sitting quietly by a small running stream watching Chickadees and a female Anna's Hummingbird happened to dip her feet and tail in the water briefly then flew to a nearby twig and preened herself. After that she was gone. WONDERFUL photo, indeed a rare sight!
 
Well, as far as clusters of hummingbirds go, we have:
Ruby-throatedclustermini.jpg

a cluster of Ruby-throats sharing a feeder at Rockport, Texas last year,
Ruby-throatedsharing.jpg

two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds sharing a feeder at Rockport, Texas last year,
bchudmspmini.jpg

and a group of Black-chinned Hummingbirds sharing a feeder at Fort Davis, Texas last August.

At Eagle Pass, Texas my wife was able to snap this image of a Black-chinned Hummingbird male using a water feature
bchusprinklermini.jpg

They do definitely need water.

Mark
Bastrop, TX
 
humminbird said:
In other words, these birds DO have a definite potential to become dehydrated and thus must have a way of rehydrating - something that would be difficult with just sugar water - or conserving water. The difficulty of rehydrating with sugar water can be shown in drinking a coke on a hot day - about 5 minutes later you want another coke.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

Sorry, but I still disagree. My quote only states that they have a potential of water loss and that they cope this by minimizing urinal water loss - not by drinking. About the sugar water - you cannot easily compare our system with hummingbirds. They do have a much faster metabolism, so the osmotic potential of the sugar will not be as effective as for us. And the burning of sugar does produce water again - six molecules of water per molecule of glucose. Not too sure about saccharose now, but I guess it would be 10 molecules of water per saccharose molecule. Anyway, I would suggest not to continue misusing desertdharma's thread for our personal disagreements ;) .
And really nice pics! :t: They sure do enjoy bathing. Personally, I have not been able to watch that yet, so you leave me a bit envious ;)
 
Well, I am not sure why they would do it if they do not need it, but I have personally seen them flying through sprinklers and misters with bill open, drinking at a drip, and drinking while bathing at a bird bath.

Mark
Bastrop, TX
 
At this time during the summer, the hummers at my feeders will fill up all of the spaces at once while others wait for available space. However, earlier in the season they are chasing each other around. There are apparently several factors that dictate sharing/non-sharing behavior. I don't know whether it has to do with nesting, or if the baby critters are feeding now, too. Whatever the "psychology" of their little birdie brains is, I find it fascinating!
Lydia :girl:
 
photo_luver,

Thanks for the comments on my picture!

I have watched Hummers stick only their bill into my water fall, while still flying and while sitting in the water. If they are not drinking, they sure are faking it quite well.

Everything I read says "some may never drink" I don't think that means "all", which means that some might take a sip or two.

Larry
 
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I have seen that phrase "some may never drink" referring to feeders - that they may never "learn" to go to a feeder - but I do not recall ever seeing it about water itself. Being around people who are banding hummingbirds, I have often heard of some birds that simply will not approach a feeder.

Mark
Bastrop, TX
 
Thanks Ismith.
Every one of those quotes papers makes it quite clear that these birds DO drink water. I have never found a responsible hummingbird author that has minimized the necessity of water in their habitats.

Mark
Bastrop, TX
 
Chuck A. Walla said:
I just saw this tonight. The more we watch them the more we learn I guess.

I have seen the hummingbirds use the Oriole feeder, but not at the same time the Orioles have been there, but when the Oriole feeder became completely overrun by wasps and yellowjackets I had to decommission it but before doing so, I noticed a woodpecker perched on it! Literally did a complete double take when I saw that!

The oriole feeder has been filled with water only and the number of wasps/yellowjackets has decreased significently and although two or three fly around the hummingbird feeder, they cannot get inside as the holes are too small, and they are slowly losing interest, to my delight!
 
RubyThroat,

Try a Oriole feeder like this one. Bees can't get in, yet Orioles and Woodpeckers can. It's made by Opius.

Also, here is a picture of a Gila Woodpecker feeding in one of my hummer feeders.
 

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Thanks for the tip on Opus feeder - will be getting one - I have SWARMS of honeybees on my h.b.feeder. It is funny to watch the hummer fight the bees. ? - can bees sting birds? Fall must be coming early as suddenly MANY hummers are visiting the feeder (stocking up) but also we are in a mild drought.... anyway it's too dangerous to sit out on the patio - too much activity!
 
I don't know if any of you have ever been to Tinkertown, which isn't far from our home (it's at the eastern foothills of the Sandias near Cedar Crest), but we were there last Sunday. They have two big feeders hanging by their entrance, and the hummers were absolutely swarming and buzzing around them like crazy -- fighting AND sharing. There were black-chinned, broad-tailed, and rufous (male and female) -- usually 6-7 at the feeders, and as many sitting up in the nearby trees waiting their turns. What a great show. Tinkertown was fun, but the hummers stole the show.
 
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